Music has a long history in Greece and although it still plays a significant role in Greek culture, statistics reveal that over 70% of music heard in communal places or on the radio is foreign. In order to promote domestic music and protect the use of the Greek language, the Culture Ministry passed a law last year requiring at least 40% of the music played in public areas to be of Greek origin. While the bill has been controversial, Greek musicians have been delighted with the change and although some tourist areas are exempt from the new law, visitors to Athens still seek out clubs that play traditional music including the intricate melodies of Smyrneika or the heavier blues style of Rebetika. These types of small live music clubs have a long tradition in Athens and became known as boîtes in the 1960s. They were small, cozy, candle-lit venues and although they were originally inspired by the music scene in France and Italy, they quickly became popular as the birthplace of a new wave of Greek music. Their legacy lives on in live music venues throughout the city and around the globe.

Offering an Authentic Experience

Boite Apanemia interior in Athens — *Boite Apanemia* interior in Plaka Athens. Source: Natassa Pantazopoulou/FOSPHOTOS

With streets filled with traditional taverns and restaurants, the Athenian nightlife has always been vibrant and exciting. The old historical neighbourhood of Plaka is where the particular music clubs known as boîtes first sprang up in the 1960s and the authentic atmosphere and Greek music from the 60s and 70s can still be experienced in Plaka at Boite Apanemia. It’s one of the only remaining boîtes that has stayed true to the original style as it continues to host live and acoustic musicians just as it did when it first opened 60 years ago. For any visitors to the city who want to hear traditional Greek music in an intimate club with a great ambience, the Boîte Apanemia is a must-visit location.

Telling a Story of Artistic Expression

Giannis Spanos Greek composer — Giannis Spanos, Greek composer and lyricist. Source: Lifo

Plaka’s boîtes were named by the composer and lyricist Giannis Spanos after living in Paris and immersing himself in the artistic scene of the Left Bank in the early 1960s. In French, nightclubs are called ‘boites de nuit’ which translates as night spots and the name became synonymous with artistic freedom and expression in the city. After returning to Greece, Spanos was a leading proponent of the Greek New Wave style of music which flourished in the increasingly popular boîtes. The boîtes hosted many well known Greek composers, musicians and singers who performed what is now known today as classic Laiko, the mainstream music well-liked in Greece in the ‘60s and ‘70s.

Discover the Greek food scene in our Athens Evening Food Tour

Group enjoying the Athens Evening Food Tour — Join our Athens Evening Food Tour, where you will have the opportunity to learn more about the rich and diverse Greek culture, as well as how history has intricately shaped the delicious foods that we enjoy eating today.

Influencing Venues Around the World

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The legacy of the traditional boîte extends beyond Greece to reach the wider Greek diaspora community and music lovers all around the world. Although now closed, Katerina’s cozy club in Chicago became known to local Greeks as Elliniko Boîte and featured a range of live music including Rebetika. Still thriving today, the Boîte, like the nightclubs to which its name alludes, is an iconic and culturally diverse music venue in Victoria, Australia that hosts unique musical experiences from around the globe. Australia is home to one of the largest groups within the Greek diaspora and the venue recently presented Estudiantina of Melbourne, an ensemble playing a mix of traditional music including Smyrneika and other forms of Greek music on classic instruments such as the oud and bouzouki, long-necked lutes that produce the classic sound of Greek music. Just like the traditional boîtes in Athens, the performers hope to reach out to and connect audiences of all ages and cultures.

First influenced by the French and Italian music of the 60s, the boîtes in Athens became very popular as venues for both new and traditional Greek music. The small, cozy bars and supper clubs helped the music scene to flourish and the concept of the boîte still endures today. From one of the original clubs in Plaka to venues celebrating Greek music around the world, boîtes continue to offer tourists and the wider Greek diaspora the opportunity to enjoy the welcoming ambience and unique entertainment that they offer.

Have you ever heard the term boîte or even visited one in the past? Let us know in the Comments section below!

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